


Lay Your Head Down

by Wagnetic



Category: due South
Genre: Caretaking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-23
Updated: 2014-01-23
Packaged: 2018-01-09 17:59:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1149093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wagnetic/pseuds/Wagnetic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Fraser's sense of responsibility wears him down, Ray is there to soothe him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lay Your Head Down

Sometimes Fraser just really needs to be held. He’ll never say it, but after a really brutal case he’ll just collapse in a heap as soon as they get home. He won’t even take off his serge or his boots. The minute the door is closed tight against the outside world he’ll slump onto the couch and sit completely still. He’s held up the invincible mountie act as long as he could, but he can’t keep it up anymore, and now that it’s just him and Ray, he can let go of it.

Ray knows Fraser inside and out and he knows what’s happening in Fraser’s head. He’s thinking about all the things he could have done. He’s going over each “what if” and “if only” and he’s getting stuck in all those damn traps his mind sets for him. He holds on to everything and he can’t let it go. He thinks that somehow he’s responsible for every injustice and wrongdoing in the city, because if some little thing had gone down just a tiny bit differently maybe he could have kept the whole world safe. No wonder he gets so worn down when it all goes to shit.

But Ray knows him, so he sits down next to Fraser and puts his arms around him. Fraser stays still and stiff for a moment, but then Ray drags him down as gently as he can until Fraser’s leaning against him, resting his weight against Ray. After a few more minutes of tension, he goes limp and Ray is the only thing holding him up, but Ray can handle that. He just tugs Fraser closer and spreads kisses over his cheeks, and his forehead, and his chin, and of course on his lips as well. He covers Fraser in all his affection, wraps it around him like a blanket. He whispers, “You did good, Ben,” and “You’re safe,” and “I’ve got you,” and “I love you.”

When Fraser’s a little calmer, Ray eases him off the couch and into the bedroom. He strips Fraser down, and it’s not an erotic thing but it’s still such an intimate act, this way of caring for Fraser. He guides Fraser to sit on the bed and he kneels down to unlace Fraser’s boots. He does it slowly, carefully, because he knows what it means that he’s helping to remove the uniform. Each bit he takes off is another piece of the burden of responsibility that he’s lifting away. It’s about the uniform as a symbol, and the undressing is a ritual. So he kneels down and unlaces the boots and slides them off of Fraser’s feet. Then he stands up again and starts on the belt and the serge, and he takes the serge off slowly too, button by button so Fraser can see each one coming loose. He brings down the suspenders and pulls off the uniform pants, raises Fraser’s arms to pull off the Henley, and lets him sit there for a moment while Ray tucks the uniform away.

He comes back to Fraser then, and takes off his own clothes with far less care. He pulls off Fraser’s boxers and undershirt, and then he urges him to move up the bed to lie with his head on the pillow. Ray settles down next to him and curls up close, tugging the blankets up to cover them. The bed is warm, and Fraser is warm, and Ray is pressed tight against him, skin to skin.

“Thank you,” Fraser mumbles through his exhaustion, and Ray says, “Shhhh,” and hums some quiet melody until Fraser drifts off into dreams where no one suffers and no one dies. Ray doesn’t let go even when Fraser’s fast asleep. He holds him and relishes their closeness and Fraser’s soft, even breathing, and the knowledge that even though he can’t take Fraser’s pain away, he can help Fraser let go of it all for a little while. He whispers quiet words of love and gratitude into Fraser’s ear, hoping that they’ll follow him into his dreams.


End file.
